Why Are People So Against Alternative Treatments

I say that if it works for you, so not worry about others thoughts on the matter. The truth is, if you are having lower pain -- keep it up! Whatever you are doing is working!! In the last month the longest stretch I have had has been three days relatively low pain. My god, if I found the reason for that, I would replicate it regardless of what others thought. They don't have to walk in your shoes so therefore their opinions are moot.

Keep up the good work!

Ps. I am having a good day and I have no idea what I did within the last few days to change it. I haven't done anything different. I actually think my hormones are to blame. I just ended my period and I am suddenly pain free? Hmm.

If you are new to the fibro community, then why are you painting us as against natural therapy? Drawing a rigid line will, of necessity, create confusion, and alienate others. There are many different frameworks, medications, therapies, and beliefs. Most of us believe that each person must find what works for them, and be part of their own process.

What incidents inform your assertions? Perhaps you are really frustrated with medical doctors, who prescribe the medication.

To each their own treatment. People need to discover what works for their needs. I am glad you have discovered something that works for you.

I actually found her through my Yoga instructor who does Yoga for pain relief, and he found her through a massage therapist she used to go to when she visited the area. She is amazing, straight to the point, but loving and understanding. The best part I think (because I did try another one to see the difference) is she has been diagnosed and went through the struggles, the drugs, and she is very open about her experience (I listened to one of her webinars and someone asked what her darkest point was and she said when she laid out the pills to take her life, but didn't because her kids).
I know for me personally, I can't speak to anyone elses experience with her, but for me she is very much about making it work for me and my life (she says that everyone has different triggers and stressors, and work differently so it has to be customized for that person).
I am so thankful as I have met people who are going on twenty years with no relief.

If you are interested I can email you the name (don't want to do it publicly don't think we are allowed). She will answer initial questions (she answered about 20 of mine via email) without any problems or charges. Also the 60mins appointments for me at least, go to 2 hours with no extra charge. Which is amazing, I never feel rushed.

I would add hairdresser, personal shopper, housekeeper, and make up artist to the list. LOL.

Yes, I think it depends on each person and their personal beliefs, experiences, etc.. There are some things even listed on this thread which, for example, I would never attempt because of my beliefs. But there are other alternatives (also some listed here) which are natural and work well for me.  But they may not work for others.

One more thing, and this is not coming from the fibro community, but I thought I'd bring it up.

My doctor always warns against new gimmicks which keep popping up, even some promising fibro patients "cures" and such. While there are some new, good things which can help us, and (rarely) may even appear to 'cure' some of us, there are also 'snake oil salesmen' to beware of. 

Though, once in a while, there may be a new muscle cream or something which just might offer some help.  Who knows? 

(I keep getting interrupted as I type this, so I hope it somewhat makes sense!)

Hi, Tbliss, and welcome. Since you are new to the fibro community you need to realize,that fibromyalgia is not a "one size fits all" illness. Everyone is different. We all do not take the same medications...if we take medications at all. We don't all have the same levels of pain. Most people with fibro don't need narcotics but there are some that do. We can't judge people like that. You have found what works for you and that's great. You asked why is the fibro community against hearing of something working unless it's medication . That's not true and you are judging people yourself! The people that scoff at you are close-minded and don't know much about this illness. I've had fibro for 26 years and have tried just about everything but now I know what will help me be in control of my pain.

I know Anna referred to antidepressants, exercise, and minor pain relief as being the Caveman way but, by golly, that has helped many in dealing with fibro. I can't stress enough that we are all so different, how our bodies react to things is different, and how we ourselves react to the pain in our bodies is different. Some suffer from depression from the pain of fibro but yet I don't. I'm a positive thinker. Some have low pain. Some have horrible pain. It's a trial and error process to figure out what works for each individual.

I am basically handling my fibro with over the counter medications and supplements that have helped many with this illness. The only prescription I take is for a muscle relaxer. I also do daily exercise, positive reinforcement, and pace myself when doing things.

Some of us can't do yoga and I'm one of them. It is a good gentle exercise for fibromites but I have a disease of my spine and can't do the movements along with getting off the floor! Some with fibro also suffer from arthritis, lupus, Lyme, disc problems, etc. along with fibro.

Please read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum. There are links to good info about fibro and you will learn a lot there. When you first open Fibro 101, there's a link to an interview with one of the top researchers of fibro and he explains quite clearly what they think is causing this illness. They think its a neurological problem. Other good links you might find interesting are A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia and Doctors Respond to New York Times Article. All of Fibro 101 is good so do read it.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you. Hope to hear more from you soon.

Sherrine

Admittedly, I'm still rather disillusioned with western medicine, especially given the way my body reacts to meds. (My non-confirmed theory) is that my body can't seem to detoxify meds correctly, or at least reacts very adversely to any man-made chemical-concoction put near it, and given that a few of the meds/tests prescribed to me by regular doctors have actually done more harm than good, I have been scared away from visiting the regular doctor and only look for doctors with positive reviews from FM/CFS patients. That being said, I've been listening to alternative docs speak at gatherings in my local community and have been very pleased thus far given that their patients also come to the meetings. I actually see other patients of these docs who say that they have found improvement from many ailments including some that plague FM patients, and have read real reviews online with very positive experiences. I'm not looking for a cure, but I'm looking for a better way to manage and bring my body back into better balance. For me, reputation and positive reviews are a major factor in how I make my health care provider decisions now.

I also keep in mind that not all alternative doctors are the same. Some out there are probably incompetent people looking to zap your bank account who speak a lot of hodgepodge nonsense, but I believe there may be some really smart competent people out there too, who see the need to create treatments for patients like me who cannot tolerate medications or commonly used treatments in the field of western medicine.

I've heard lots of great things about Yoga. If I'm not mistaken, I remember seeing studies that demonstrated that yoga can be just as or more effective than meds on things like insomnia, depression, arthritis, pain management and I acknowledge that many people are helped greatly by meds, but unfortunately quite a many health care systems seem to revolve around filling the pockets of pharmaceutical companies and quick fixes (whether they fix or not), and so I just don't think enough emphases is put on alternative solutions and management treatments like yoga and other possibilities all aspects of balanced wellness.

I suspect FMS is a big umbrella diagnosis encompassing all sorts of possible imbalances in the body that influence dysfunction in the nervous system and/or other body systems, and for this reason it makes sense that effective treatments also vary person to person given that our imbalances may differ person to person. That's my suspicion and I'm no expert. But that being said, do what works for you. For me, I know that meds are not the answer. I need alternative solutions, or I prefer no treatment over the wrong one from a doctor who knows little about FM. If I know more about FM/CFS than my doc, that's a major problem. Why would I pay that guy or gal or entrust my body and health to them?

Right now the alternative docs I'm thinking about visiting have studied FM and CFS extensively among other complicated issues I face such as sensitivity to most foods and many chemicals. I would love to go to someone who knows more than me about these issues I encounter. I know I have to be cautious with any doctor, alternative or not, but I'm optimistic for the first time in a long time about the possibility of having a resource to help me along in my path to wellness and health management. I'm not expecting a cure, but I am hopeful of potential solutions to specific issues that may be out of whack in my body.

Welcome tbliss! You have received a lot of advice and I would just like to add one more thing. Some of us on here also suffer from other diseases. Myself, I have RA, Sjogrens and Fibromyalgia. I would be all for alternative medicine but due to my RA, I can't solely depend on it or I could end up with joint damage. But, I am open to trying anything reasonable that can possibly help. I just recently added magnesium to my daily meds and have found that it has given me a lot of pain relief.

@ CharmCityLady - actually you're unconfirmed theory HAS been confirmed by my Rheumie. :) For me, specifically, I take activated Folate to try to help my body use folate to detox, but activated folate is really hard on my body. Actually all of my treatment is hard (bunch of supplements) so I have dialed back completely and have started over as of this weekend, and am only taking a multi until I see my Rheumie again. Ugh. Fibro treatment is SO HARD!

I would like to see more research done on estrogen's impact and natural methodologies to increase estrogen the last two weeks of the month, as they are always the most brutal for me. I mean, I felt amazing yesterday (first day post period) and there has to be a way to circumvent that dip. Maybe I should hang out with non-pmsing people when I am, if it will rub off on me. Haha But I found an article about how a fibro sufferer got a uterus ablation (thereby eliminating the need for PMS/menstrual cycle) and she said her pain was significantly diminished. She also said research has not suggested to get on birth control pills to circumvent despite their numbers showing that all participants on BCPs showing lower pain scores overall. And I would really like to see the pain score differences with post menopausal women with and without hormone therapy.

I told my mom yesterday that I am about to go back to school just so I can do medical research on fibro. Actually, that's exactly why my Rheumie went to medical school - he was a teacher and came down with fibro and now his research is solely trying to figure out fibro. The good is that we always stay ahead of the curve, the bad is that we are all basically his research subjects. Haha

Here is the info about fibro partially being a detox issue: http://www.heartfixer.com/AMRI-Nutrigenomics.htm

(Hopefully that is an approved link!!)

I've gotten so much help from acupuncture. I'd hate to see where I'd be without it! Do you know how someone living elsewhere would go about finding a wellness coach? Is there a registry? I'd love to give that a try.

Joy, my insurance company had wellness coaches. Do you have UHC?

I agree with the others, if it works for you, go for it...

We are all different and different things work for us. I find medication helps, but I also need to drink a lot of water, move around and do other things like meditation.

I say more power to you... I am sorry that there have been people discouraging you. Don't let that get to you. Do what works for yourself.

Have a great day, cold here...

Hugs, Karen...